Gauteng water blues not to end soon

Gauteng residents must brace for more water cuts over the next few years as rising demand for water continues to outstrip supply.

This is what several water experts had to say about the province's recent battle with prolonged water cuts due to a number of factors including pump station problems.

Several areas have been hit severely by water cuts leaving communities frustrated in the past three weeks.

The areas most severely affected are South Hills, Linmeyer, Risana, Tulisa Park, parts of Oakdene and parts of Rosettenville Ext, and Klipfontein View in Midrand – all in the City of Johannesburg.

Primrose in Ekurhuleni and Nellmapius and Ikageng sections in Mamelodi east of Pretoria also followed suit.

Former president of the SA Institution of Civil Engineering, Dr Chris Herald, said water leaks which are found in the municipal infrastructure placed huge pressure on the amount of water available to customers.

Herald estimated leaks to contribute about 33.6% of water in municipalities which is a  third of the water that is supposed to come through the taps. He said the leaks severely affected municipalities’ ability to fill up their reservoirs.

“Because they have so many water leaks, they can't fill their reservoirs at night time. What happens is that at night time, the leaks are higher than they are during the day…,” Herald said.

A report released by the Water Research Commission in March revealed that 36.8% of the total municipal water supplied in SA is lost before it reaches municipal customers.

Researchers estimated that government loses R7bn every year for water that is not billed.

Herald said what has added to the Gauteng’s water problems is the delay in the commissioning of the Polihali Dam in Lesotho which was supposed to come online over a decade ago. The dam is part of the second phase of the Lesotho Highlands Water Project which was aimed at increasing capacity to SA’s water resources.

Last month, the Lesotho Highlands Development Authority (LHDA)  launched a tender for the Polihali Dam, marking an important milestone for that country and SA.

However, experts anticipate that it could take between seven to eight years to complete the construction of the dam.

 “There is certainty that we will have our water supply restricted more and more as we approach Polihali Dam’s commissioning day…If we have a drought, it will get worse because we will have restrictions on top of restrictions," Herald said. 

“We must just pray we don’t have a serious major drought before Polihali Dam is commissioned.”

Water cuts have crippled businesses and families in Gauteng with residents having to walk long distances to collect water.

Rand Water announced that it has issued a 20% water restriction to Gauteng municipalities after demand outstripped supply. The company blamed ageing municipal infrastructure for the immense pressure it is now working under.

Johannesburg MMC for environment and infrastructure services Mpho Moerane also blamed the water cuts on the July unrest which disrupted the movement of valves and pipes with trucks. Power failures and the recent explosion at Rand Water’s Palmiet booster pumping station also had a role in reducing supply, Moerane said.

Water expert Prof Mike Muller said the population of Gauteng increases by about 3% annually, which means more people need water every year.

Muller said Rand Water must change its act to prevent further cuts.

“To avoid complete shutdowns, when Rand Water experiences production problems, it should immediately tell its municipal customers so that they can reduce consumption in an organised manner,” he said.

Senior scientist at the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research, Dr Melusi Thwala, said the beginning of spring is accompanied by a rise in temperatures and increasing recreational, domestic gardening, and crop farming water uses.

“As such spring signals the beginning of the provincial water demand rise. The system recharge is dependent on the arrival of good and elongated rains,” Thwala said.